FOR THE MOST part, Johan Jacobsen is like any other two-year old.
According to his parents – Breeda (from Galway) and Bjorn (from Sweden) — when Johan was born, his legs were so strong they joked about him being a soccer or rugby player and their biggest worry was which country he would tog out for.
Unfortunately for the Jacobsens, Johan failed to hit his developmental goals and was unable to sit upright at six months.
A few weeks after his first birthday, the Jacobsens learned that Johan had cerebral palsy because of damage to his brain during his mother’s pregnancy that resulted in a condition called Periventricular Leukomalacia (PVL).
As he is so young, it is difficult to predict his future mobility but his parents have been advised that that he will more than likely need a rollator or crutches to walk and will need a wheelchair for longer distances.
However, he is also a prime candidate for an operation known as Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDR) which permanently removes most, if not all, of the spasticity that inhibits normal movement.
It is, however, a one-time only operation so Johan’s parents have decided to have the it carried out at St. Louis Children’s Hospital.
Between the operation and recovery physio, it will cost the Jacobsens €85,000.
That’s where Galway native Gavan Hennigan comes in. A family friend of the Jacobsens, Hennigan is set to take on the world’s toughest and coldest adventure race next year in a bid to help raise funds for Johan’s operation.
But when the day job sees you working as a deep sea diver in the North Sea and living in a pressure chamber for up to a month at time, running a 300 mile adventure race in -45°C weather shouldn’t present too much trouble.
“I work as a commercial diver in the North Sea and all over the world. I’m a saturation diver, so I do deep-sea, heavy construction work on oil platforms,” Hennigan told The42 recently.
“It’s right up there with the most dangerous jobs in the world. That said, there are a lot of safety measures in place.
“I was a bricklayer originally and, like many Irish people, I went out to Australia on a year’s visa and was working away out there. I found out about this specialist course and, having grown up by the sea in Salthill, the idea of being a diver really appealed to me.
“My visa ran out so I went up to Bali and I ended up working all over south east Asia, west Africa, Russia all over the place.”
The nature of Hennigan’s job means he can actually prepare for a race like the Yukon Arctic Ultra without having to take too many days holidays.
“I get good time off. I work a lot of the summer in the North Sea and then I get a few months off at a time so I get a good lead up to these long events, to be able to train full time.
“My job as well, of course, is very physical in its own way so I’m on top of things fitness wise most of the time anyway.
“It’s a high pressure job, poor visibility a lot of the time and complex engineering tasks facing you all the time.
“On top of that, we live in a chamber for up to a month at a time so I’m pretty much housed in this little space for a lot of the time with two of the lads. That in itself leads to a lot of mental toughness to be able to go out into the Arctic for six days and get through it.”
You might think that you would need an athletics background to take part in something like the Yukon Arctic Ultra but it was a youth spent snowboarding that Hennigan believes will provide ideal preparation for the race.
“My background would have been mountaineering and snowboarding rather than athletics. It’s only in the last 18 months I’ve taken to racing. With the snowboarding though I would have gone back-country camping, etc and spent up to three weeks on glacier in Alaska before.
“The 6633 Ultra earlier this year was my first big adventure race. Before that I would have done a lot of stuff in the west of Ireland where I’d have gone out into the mountains and traversed the trails for three or four days.
“The 6633 was 350 miles from just inside the Arctic circle right up to this little village on the edge of the Arctic sea.
“This one is in the Yukon as well, I suppose there’s only a handful of these types of races. With all the cold weather gear I bought for the 6633 I suppose it made sense that I look for another one and put it to good use.”
Of course, taking part in this type of race is as tough on the mind as it is on the body but Hennigan has Johan as extra motivation.
“Breeda is a family friend from Salthill. There’s a lot of people doing some great stuff like running marathons and other fund-raising events but I just said I’d get involved and try and drum up some awareness and some money.
“It’s a really good cause as it makes you realise there are so many young people out there who don’t start off in life with the same chances as you or I do.
“At the end of the day I’m in a privileged position. I’m healthy and fit and I’m able to go and do a race like this where as this little lad doesn’t have a whole lot of chances at this stage in his life.
“So it’s just about using it as motivation to drive myself to do well, to finish the race and raise some money in the mean time.”
Between now and February, Hennigan’s training will involve doing his best to re-create Arctic conditions in Galway. It’s something he admits is easier said that done.
“The weather’s been so mild at the moment it’s tough to recreate what I’m going to be running in but I have a tyre that I’ve been dragging around and at least that lets me train for pulling the sled around.
“In December and January I’ll go up and down mountains like Croke Patrick at night three or four times and hopefully the temperature will get down low enough for that.”
And as for the weather itself during the race?
“Once you get past -10°C it all kind of feels the same but once it drops to -35°C is really really serious as you can’t have any skin exposed as you’ll get frostbite so you have to be very careful.”
You can find out more information on Johan Jacobsen here.
You can donate to Gavan Henigan’s fundraising page for the Yukon Arctic Ultra here.
I thought we could only have two non European players? So how is Lowe replacing Ruddock? Surely he would have to replace Fardy or Gibson Park
@Sam Harms: 2 in the matchday squad im guessing
@Rudiger McMonihan: Wonder if it will be Fardy who will be sacrificed then as Gibson Park is needed.
@Sam Harms: Why is he needed? McCarthy is as good as him.
@Sam Harms: Zero chance of Fardy being left out.
@Rudiger McMonihan: I know but is he ready for a big European game? Ideally McGrath would just play the full 80 mins
@Sam Harms: Hed be a sub. Its not like theyre getting him to start. Hes 22 now as well. At what point do they start playing him?
@Rudiger McMonihan: I’d like to see him play because I think he’s got alot more potential than Gibson Park just don’t know if Cullen will go for it in such a big game.
@Sam Harms: Fardys recent parenthood may be a factor , I read somewhere that this can mean a change of status . Wouldn’t bet my house on it though .
@Limón Madrugada: I think he can just apply for citizenship sooner if he wants to but not 100% sure. What Rudiger McMonihan said is right, can only have two in the match day squad so one of the three will miss out.
@Sam Harms: Yeah well i dont think having a kid gets you citizenship any faster. I think its only if you marry an irish person and even then, its not right away
@Rudiger McMonihan: I didn’t think that was the case just something I saw someone else mention. Either way he isn’t excluded because his child was born here
@Sam Harms: I spoke to Eoin Reddin about the Leinster scrum half situation. He said Gibson Park as sub has alot to offer. Reckons the young third choice scrum half is not ready to play at European level. All that said I’d love to see Lowe involved.
@Rudiger McMonihan: wouldn’t dismiss Gibson-Park so quickly. He is in good form this season and has 4 tries in 9 appearances. Nick McCarthy is a promising young player but he hasn’t started a game for Leinster this year.
Yes but at 22years old isnt it bad that he hasnt? And im not saying anyone is a bad player, i just said that hes “as good as him”
But didnt munster have kleyn cloete and marshall?
@Kieran Dunphy: South Africans are not included in the 2 player rule
Well they wont be dropping Fardy any time soon so im guessing McCarthy is the player to gain from this
@Rudiger McMonihan: That’s exactly what I thought. Great for him to get some time in a match like this. Hopefully we have a bit of a gap by the time he’s needed.
Great news. Makes for an interesting selection this weekend. Kearney, Nacewa, McFadden and Larmour all played very well against Exeter.
@EK: I’d say Nacewa might be rested he didn’t look 100% by the end on Sunday
Not sure about this rule. Toulon had 2 kiwis and 2 Argentinians in their squad his weekend and when Leinster played them before they had 4 kiwis, 2 Australians and an Argentinian
@Léon D’Arcy: Off the top of my head I remember Matt Giteau, Drew Mitchell and Ma’a Nonu all starting against Leinster a couple of years ago and Fernandez-Lobbe I’m pretty sure was involved too. Is it a new rule?
@Paddy O’Brien: Chris Masoe and Rudi Wulf as well, the rule was in place even then
Fantastic
I really don’t get this Euro Cup registration …can someone pls explain 2 me the registration of only 2 Kiwis/Aussies in Euro Cup games. Because Toulon played Hayman, Ali Williams, Giteau and Mitchell v Leinster in 2015
https://www.ultimaterugby.com/match/rc-toulon-vs-leinster-rugby-at-stade-v%C3%A9lodrome-19th-apr-2015/5753/lineup
Help
@Marcodub: interesting. Just checked all 4 are born in NZ/Australia. Shouldn’t be allowed then I thought
From what i read it is that Leinster could only register 3 players from now until the end of the pool stages. One of whom had to be a front-row player. With Ruddock out, it opened up a vacancy. I don’t think it was originally about foreign players. Look at Ulster, they had Leafano, Piatau and Herbst starting v Quins.
@Johannes: Lealiifano has Samoan heritage and Piatau has Tongan heritage I think. It’s possible either/both of them have citizenship of those countries and could be registered as such. Herbst is from SA who have an agreement with the EU and so is exempt.
@Johannes: Herbst is South African, the non European rule doesn’t apply to them
@Sam Harms: thanks for the clarification. I suppose at the end of the day, it’s exciting that Lowe will be lining out this weekend in some shape or form
Its nothing to do with non European players. Leinster were keeping their powder dry last week.
A European Player is:
1)A national of an EU nation or State which the EU has entered into an agreement with(such as Cotonou Agreement which includes SA& Pacific Nations)
2)A national of a state whose national federation or union is a member of rugby Europe
3)a player who has completed 36 months consecutive residence in the country which has jurisdiction over his club
4)Eligible to play for the 15 a side or 7 a side senior team of a federation or nation that is a member of Rugby Europe.
Players with dual passports for example Piatau (NZ/Tonga) would not class an a non European player.
Basically EU Law does not allow them to discriminate based on nationality, the same as any other workplace. Which must put into question the IRFU policy on NIQs. Just a thought.
@Rugby Guru: If the NIQ rule is discriminatory then all international sport is discriminatory, as the rule is for provincial teams that provide players to the national team
@Rugby Guru: sorry you must be wrong..Toulon played Hayman, Ali Williams, Giteau and Mitchell v Leinster in 2015.. non had dual citizenship
https://www.ultimaterugby.com/match/rc-toulon-vs-leinster-rugby-at-stade-v%C3%A9lodrome-19th-apr-2015/5753/lineup
@Rugby Guru: sorry Giteau and Hayman has been in France for more than 3 yrs at the time
@Marcodub: Both of Ali William’s parents are English so presumably that accounts for him.
@Rudiger McMonihan: incorrect, check out the Bosman ruling, limits on foreign players for the good of the national team are not a valid reason to discriminate based on nationality as there is no reason that Irish players cannot play in any of the other professional leagues in the EU (Remember when Irwin,Keane,Giggs used to count as foreigners in the CL, the Bosman ruling changed this).
The selection of the national team is protected under a ‘specificity of sport’ exemption, as it is a purely sporting rule.
Football has had to deal with this for years, rugby has got away with it so far as no one has challenged the rules in court.
1. McGrath
2. Tracy
3. Furlong
4. Toner
5. Fardy
6. O’Brien
7. Van der flier
8. Conan
9. McGrath
10. Sexton
11. Lowe
12. Henshaw
13. Ringrose
14. McFadden
15. Kearney
@Gustave H: Wonder if Adam Byrne will be back this weekend and take Fergus’ spot
@Gustave H: unless he’s injured Healy is starting.
@Chris Mc: we’ll see
@Gustave H: I hate to go on about it, but id rather see Ryan, Byrne and Larmour starting. They arent gonna be competing to get into the world cup squad in 1.5 years if they dont get more game time for leinster now.
@Rudiger McMonihan: Ross Byrne who’s never been in an Ireland squad, should start ahead of Johnny Sexton in this game so he can gain some experience of a big game for a World Cup the year after next?
I don’t agree, not even a tiny little bit.
@Gustave H: Adam Byrne. I didnt think I needed to clarify that… Sexton is world class. You dont drop a world class player in an important game. Porter needs gametime too, but im not gonna suggest Furlong get dropped anytime soon
@Rudiger McMonihan: Aha, hands up on that one!
Polota-nau is rubbish too , interesting to see if the munster lads can back it up next week
@DJamie Dunne: They will of course, leicester are crap.
Damn shame for Ruddock, hopefully he’s fit again before the 6 Nations, he deserves a shot there.